AIPLA Committee Report – Mid-winter Institute 2016

IP Practice in Japan Committee

Committee Co-Chairs: Neil Henderson,

Steve Meyer

Board Liaison: Kenneth K. Cho

Consistent with the AIPLA’s Vision, Mission, and Values, the Committee is maintaining a high-level of visibility through its interactions with key Japanese IP organizations to promote exchange of information on significant IP developments in the US and Japan. These exchanges have historically occurred at two “pre-meetings” (prior to the October AIPLA Annual Meeting and January Mid-Winter Institute (“MWI”)) each lasting for one and a half days as well as a week-long delegation visit to Japan, generally undertaken in April of each year.

At the 2016 Mid-Winter Institute, the Committee conducted a day and a half Pre-Meeting covering a broad range of topics with 22 speakers on 21 topics, approximately half from the US and half from Japan. Presenters included members of the Committee, JPAA, Japanese group of AIPPI, and the JPO. The detailed agenda is posted on the Committee documents page.

During the Pre-Meeting we also had a very well attended reception and dinner after the first day of presentations and some very enjoyable activities (golf, shooting) on the afternoon of the second day. The Pre-Meeting was also successful in attracting 14 sponsors:

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

Carter, DeLuca, Farrell & Schmidt LLP

Culpepper IP, PLLC

Fildes & Outland, P.C.

Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

Fitch, Even, Tabin & Flannery LLP

Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP

Locke Lord LLP

Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Osha Liang LLP

Pepper Hamilton LLP

Smart & Biggar/Fetherstonhaugh

Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack, LLP

Wentsler LLC

We also hosted representatives of the JPO and USPTO during our Committee meeting at the main MWI meeting for a discussion on the Collaborative Search Pilot program between the two patent offices and had a very informative and lively discussion about this interesting program.

Our Committee is already planning for our Annual April trip to Japan. The confirmed dates for our April 2015 meetings are April 18 through 21. Included in these April meetings will be our fifth Women in IP Law meeting as well as our fifth seminar with JPAA in Osaka.

The Committee currently has about 160 Active Voting Members. It is the Committee’s intent to increase active participation of its members, and to encourage joining of new members by:

i)  posting more information on its web page;

ii)  increasing participation by new members at pre-meetings; and

iii)  taking advantage of the annual April trip to Japan to promote AIPLA memberships among the IP professionals working in Japan.

The Committee is also maintaining contact with our sister organizations in Japan so that we can provide a rapid response to new developments in Japan. The objective is to learn about proposed legal developments in Japan in a timely way that will permit AIPLA the opportunity to provide its comments, as appropriate.

Finally, we have been able to assist other committees in sourcing Japanese speakers for panels and are looking at being involved in a plenary session at next year’s MWI.